Merchandising display device



Aug. 23, 1960 P. MALNOVE MERCHANDISING DISPLAY DEVICE Filed-May s, 1956 BYLuajaw M, [M 17 ATTORNEYS Unite States Patent IVERCISING DISPLAY DEVICE Paul Malnove, 6421 Glenwood Road, Omaha, Nehr. Filed May '3, 1956, Ser. No. 582,484-

1 Claim. (Cl. 211-86) This invention relates to a merchandising display device and is directed more particularly to a display and promotional device adapted to sit upon a retail sales counter or shelf.

In the merchandising of various commodities, especially in the retail grocery field, the practice has been adopt: ed of using shelf talkers to promote the sales of certain items or to direct attention to special bar-gains available to the purchaser. vertising messages, usually printed on a sheet of paper or cardboard, which are attached by means of adhesive or pressure sensitive tape to the shelf or counter on which the goods are displayed. The nature of these placards and the type of attachment causes them to be unusually subject to accidental detachment, as by a customers brushing against the shelf or removing articles from the shelf. If detached, the talker falls to the floor and may be lost under the counter or defaced by the feet of the customer. Further, as the particular brands being promoted are sold and restocked, different and competing brands, either through inadvertence or deliberate intention, may be placed in the immediate vicinity of the talker in lieu of the brands to which the message of the talker is directed, detracting from the effectiveness of the promotional campaign.

The object of this invention is to provide a semi-permanent shelf-talker which rests directly on the shelf, prominently displaying an advertising message, and, in addition to its promotional eifeot, functions to reserve a section of the shelf for the same merchandise of the same brand being advertised.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shelf talker adapted to rest upon a sales shelf and engage the front edge of the shelf, so that it cannot be moved to a position at which it is obscured or hidden.

Another object is to provide a three-dimensional shelf talker having one part adapted to receive the articles to be sold and another part prominently displaying a sales message, the entire unit being collapsible to compact folded position for purposes of storage or transportation.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of the invention in assembled or set-up position;

Figure .2 is a transverse section of the unit of Figure l in one display position;

Figure 3 is a transverse section of the unit in an alternative display position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-section looking down along lines 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective of one corner of the unit in the process of setting up;

Figure 6 is a plan view of a blank from which the unit of Figure l is assembled, and

Figure 7 is a front elevation of .the unit before assem- These shelf talkers are ad- I bly, showing in dotted lines the extreme collapsed position which the unit may take.

In the drawings, the numeral 11 designates a primary panel of generally rectangular shape. Connected to one side of panel 11 by a fold line 12 is a secondary panel or flap '13 also of generally rectangular shape but preferably of lesser width or transverse dimension than panel 11, panel 13 being foldable for display purposes to a position perpendicular to the plane of panel 11 (Figures l-3). In order to support or maintain the panels in right angular position, there is provided an elongated strip 14 of a length greater than the longitudinal dimension of the panels, which is divided by fold lines 15 and 15' into a medial portion 16, approximately coextensive with the length of each of the panels 11 and '13 and two flaps 17 and 17' which are approximately square. The ends of the terminal portions remote from medial portion 16 are foldably connected to the ends of primary panel '11 adjacent its union with panel 13 and such connection may be accomplished either by forming the strip integrally with one side of panel 11 with a fold line 18 at their juncture and providing a tab 19 foldably joined to the other side of panel 11 to which the free end of the strip is secured (Figure 6), or by forming the strip entirely separate from panel 11 and providing a tab similar to tab 19 on each side of the panel for attachment to the ends of the strip (not shown). In either arrangement, the front of panel 11 and strip 14 constitute a continuous loop with the strip extending beneath the panel, in the fashion illustrated in Figure 7.

lnfset-up or display position, the strip 14!- assumes a position enveloping the secondary panel 13. In other words, the strip is disposed with its medial portion in abutting contact with the front face of the upstanding panel 13 and with its terminal portions extending rearwardly past the side edges of panel 13. To permit this arrangement, the terminal portions are adapted to fold inwardly upon themselves, as can be best seen in Figure 5, along a fold line 24) extending at a 45 angle from the corner 21 of each of the terminal portions that is adjacent the panel '11 and remote from panel 13.

The 1 6-6111153111: folding of the terminal portions is facilitated by the provision of one or more auxiliary fold lines 22 generally radiating from corner 21 at a lesser angle.

Preferably, the medial portion 16 of strip 14 is extended downwardly below the plane of panel 11, as at 23, in order to engage the front edge of the shelf on which the unit rests (see Figure 3).

The unit may be set up in the following fashion: Holding the unit with the secondary panel 13 nearest the users body with the portion 16 and the terminal portions or flaps 17, 17 forming a dependent loop as illustrated in Fig. 7, the secondary panel is folded to upstanding position, after which the fingers are engaged with the lower edge of the terminal portions and the thumb is placed on the marginal portions of panel 11 adjacent terminal portions 17, 17'. By pushing with the thumbs and pulling with the fingers, the median portion 16 slides into place in front of panel 113. As is indicated in Fig. 5, as the portion 16 is being moved from dependent to forward position, the flaps 1'7, 17' first bend at the fold lines 22 closest the panel 11, then at the next of such fold lines, and finally at the 45 fold line 20, the folding action gradually passing or rolling from one line to the next. When the unit is set up, each of the flaps 17, 17' is completely doubled upon itself into two right triangles united at the top edge, which makes a 45 angle with the base edges. To knock down the unit, a reverse procedure is employed, the strip being pulled down while the panel 11 is pushed up. When knocked down, the

Patented Aug. 23, 1960 strip and panels may be collapsed to the dotted-line position in Figure 7 at which the components lie fiat and occupy a minimum of space. V I p As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the unit maybe used with either of the panels resting on the surfacesof the shelf. In the former position, of course, the front face of panel 11 bears the advertising message while, in the latter, the front face of panel 13 bears the message. In either position, the articles 24, indicated in dotted lines, sit upon that panel which rests on the shelf.

It will be apparent that the section of panel 11 extending from the corners 21 away from panel 13 may take virtually any form or configuration, and that panel 13 may be extended above strip 14; the term generally rectangular when used in the claims is intended to include such variations. l[t is also immaterial whether or not the upper end of medial portion 16 terminates in a straight edge. These and other modifications of design and detail may be made without departure from the scope of the invention except as limited by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

VA cardboard device for displaying articles of merchandise on a sales shelf or the like, which device comprises a first panel of generally rectangular configuration adapted to rest on said shelf with said articles arranged thereon, a second panel of generally rectangular configuration connected by a [fold line to one edge of said first panel and extending upwardly at right angles thereto when in display position, and an elongated strip connected at its ends along fold lines to the ends of said first panel adjacent its connection with said second panel, said strip having its dimension transverse to said fold line exceeding the same dimension of said second strip,-

said strip having two generally square end portions, one adjacent each end of said first panel, and a median portion generally coextensive in length With said first and second panels, each of said end portions in display position being folded upon itself along a 45 fold line extending from the corner thereof remote from said second panel and adjacent the fold line connecting said end portion and said first panel to the opposite corner thereof adjacent said median portion, each of said end portions having a plurality of fold lines radiating from said firstmentioned corner between said 45 fold line and the fold line connecting the portion and said first panel to facilitate folding of the end portion upon itself; said median portion in display position extending at right angles to said first panel with its rear face contacting the front face of said second panel to conceal said second panel and being maintained in this position by said folded end portions, said median portion having an extension along the side thereof adjacent said first-mentioned corners of said end portions which extension projects below the plane of the first panel to bear against the outer vertical I face of a shelf and thereby position said device thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Crane June 5, 1956 r hand... 

